


Like Flying

by Kaenith



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: M/M, animal death mention (carnivores gotta eat /something/), dragonmom is best mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 15:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaenith/pseuds/Kaenith
Summary: Shadow has lots of feelings about things.  Specifically about his new ally, Vio.Skirrsa has an opinion or two.(Or: local dragonmom embarrasses her son about his very obvious crush.)





	Like Flying

Shadow catches himself reaching for a lantern he doesn’t need, and he has to laugh a little at how quickly habits can form.

The Fire Temple is a dark place, especially as the stone-block corridors of the tower give way to the maze of caverns carved directly into the mountain beneath. It suits Shadow just fine, but it’s less than ideal for his new ally’s sub-par night vision – a fact that Shadow only belatedly remembered after losing Vio in the tunnels one evening.

He’d realized mid-sentence that his friend was no longer by his side, and he’d had to retrace his steps in the opposite direction. He finally found Vio two turns back: hands outstretched, feeling his way blind in the darkness, trying not to trip over or run into anything. The way he gingerly avoided putting weight on his left foot seemed to imply he’d already failed once.

Normally, seeing a light worlder so handicapped in the dark would have been _hilarious_ to Shadow, but Vio was his ally. It was different. Well, okay, it was still kind of funny, but it was also… Shadow didn’t have a word for it.

He’d put a hand on Vio’s back to guide him through the dark corridors, and if it had lingered there even after they came out into a more well-lit room, well… Vio hadn’t complained.

After that, Shadow had taken steps to ensure there’d be lanterns on hand for Vio in the future. But Vio’s not with him right now – he doesn’t need one.

Shadow isn’t sure what the Fire Temple had been, originally. _Temple_ is probably a misnomer – it’s built more like a defensible fortress than a place of worship. But then again, what does _he_ know about Hylian religions? Maybe Din _likes_ her temples carved from unornamented stone and smelling of volcanic sulfur.

Regardless of its original purpose, the design has worked out in their favor now. Shadow and Vio have their own rooms in the upper stories of the tower, the Hinnoxes sleep in the larger open halls on the floors below, and the lowermost levels – the caves with the outside entrances – are filled with dragons and other beasts of the Dark World. No hero is going to be getting through _that_.

Skirrsa’s cavern is one of the larger ones, comfortable by dragon standards, with a soft, sandy floor. Moonlight filtering through the entrance casts the cave in shades of dark violet, glinting silver where it catches on the jagged arrowhead-edges of the rock walls.

Skirrsa lifts her head from her forepaws at the sound of Shadow’s approach. _“Mrrr?”_

“Nah, just me this time. Vio’s sleeping.” Shadow smirks. “Light worlders, right? Ridiculous.” The words – though lightly mocking – hold a fondness that would never have been there just weeks ago.

He reaches out to pat the ridge over Skirrsa’s left eye. She rumbles happily, nuzzling him in return, prodding at him with her snout as though checking him over for injuries. He tolerates the inspection for a moment before shoving her lightly away, scowling without any real ire. “Quit fussing. The heroes still haven’t managed to lay a finger on me, _promise_.”

Skirrsa snorts dubiously, but she complies. She stands up, partially unfurling her wings, and looks expectantly at the cave entrance, then back to Shadow.

“Heh. Getting restless, are you? It’s been about a week; probably time for another hunt. Even though I _know_ you’ve been snacking on any rats or keese dumb enough to get within range.”

Skirrsa snaps her jaws, looking smug.

“Alright, alright. One deer, coming right up.” Shadow grabs hold of one of Skirrsa’s horns for leverage and starts to clamber onto her back. “Or sheep, maybe. You feel like harassing some Light World farmers? Or we could-”

Shadow pauses, still only halfway onto Skirrsa’s back.

She twists her neck around, trying to look at him. _“Krrr?”_ A questioning trill.

“Actually…” Shadow sinks back to the ground, thoughtful. “D’you think you could wait another day? Vio’s never been flying before, so maybe…”

Skirrsa levels a withering gaze at him.

“Don’t give me that look!”

She lifts her head in an exaggerated eye roll. It’s not _dragon_ body language at all. Shadow can only assume she picked it up from him. But exasperation aside, she tucks in her wings and settles back down on the cave floor, resting her head on her forepaws and watching him patiently.

Shadow folds his arms and looks away. “It was just an idea.” He’s aware he sounds like a whiny toddler, and he hates it. His ears burn. “Thought it might be fun. He’s my first real _friend_ —”

_“Rrrr…”_

“—other than you, of course,” Shadow amends. He unfolds his arms and scratches lightly at the smaller scales just behind Skirrsa’s jaw. A deep purr rumbles in her chest; he is forgiven.

The more he thinks about it, the more he’s drawn to the idea of taking Vio flying. The cool evening air on their faces. The warmth of Vio's arms around his waist, holding on for balance. The look of awe on Vio's face as the ground falls away, their kingdom laid out before them and brilliant sunset at their backs as the first stars begin to appear.

It’s like he’d told Vio in the forest: _“only you can see the bigger picture; the good and the bad.”_ He wants to show Vio the _good_ he’d been missing out on as a light worlder.

“Hey,” Shadow says by Skirrsa's ear, dropping his voice conspiratorially low, even though they’re alone in the cave. “Keep a secret for me?”

Skirrsa blinks up at him with one eye, golden and incredulous. Shadow snickers.

“See, Vio came up with this plan. We take out Vaati first – he’s done his part, who needs him anymore?” He flicks his fingers carelessly, as though toppling a chess piece. “Then we use the Princess’s power to defeat Ganon – if we time it just right, it’ll be easy.” Another gesture, a little more deliberate, as though capturing a checkmated King. “And with _him_ gone, it would be the two of _us_ in charge.”

Shadow grabs Skirrsa’s horn again and vaults up onto her back, but instead of getting ready for a flight, he just leans forward until he’s sprawled out on his belly with his arms folded across the back of her neck.

“We really could do it you know. The two of us together, we’re unstoppable. You should have seen us confronting the heroes today.” A grin curls across his face as he remembers it – sharing the throne with Vio, facing their enemies together. The words _we’re best friends_ , sweeter on his lips than any wine.

“It’s like we have our own language. We understand each other better than anyone else. The way he looks at me, like he’s really seeing _me_ , not the reflection of someone else…”

Shadow has the wild impulse to double-check that he hasn’t floated off Skirrsa’s back. He _feels_ like he’s floating – weightless and giddy in a way he can’t compare to anything else.

“No wonder he chose me over them. The Light World didn’t deserve him. They didn’t _appreciate_ him. He’s _amazing_.”

Skirrsa gives an exasperated snort and shakes her head, almost hard enough to dislodge Shadow. She rumbles at him.

“W-what?!” Shadow splutters, jolting upright. “Why would I give him a _deer carcass?!_ ”

Another rumble, slower. An ‘explaining things to a slightly dim hatchling’ sort of rumble.

Shadow’s face goes hot. “That’s not— We’re not— _I don’t think that’s a courtship ritual for Hylians!_ ”

_“Krrr?”_

“ _No I don’t think he’d prefer a rabbit!_ The issue is not—! I— _Aauuugh_!” He hides his burning face against her cool scales, and refuses to continue the conversation.

**Author's Note:**

> Skirrsa: Sooo... when are you planning to propose to him?  
> Shadow: OMG _MOM_


End file.
